The world of Westeros is still capturing the hearts and minds of viewers as the season one finale of House of the Dragon pulled in 9.3 million viewers on Sunday. That figure includes viewers who watched the episode during its four airings on HBO's cable channel, and HBO Max streams throughout Sunday night.
All told, that makes Episode 10 (titled 'The Black Queen') the most successful series finale for HBO since Game of Thrones concluded in May 2019, with 19.8 million viewers. This marks a sharp parallel with the premiere of the show, which drew almost 10 million viewers, breaking HBO's viewership record.
House of the Dragon is based on the 2018 novel Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin. The series is set almost 200 years before the events that occur in Game of Thrones and is based around the fall of the great House Targaryen. When a male heir to the throne has not come to King Viserys Targaryen, he names his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra, as his successor. The first season spans multiple years as Viserys' health fails, before his second wife, Alicent Hightower, produces a male heir. The series then follows the internal politicking, violence and manipulation which follows, that made Game of Thrones such a must-watch.
The show stars Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno and Rhys Ifans. Martin is co-creater on the show with Ryan Condal, who is co-showrunner alongside director Miguel Sapochnik. Martin, Condal and Sapochnik all executive produce alongside Sara Hess, Jocelyn Diaz, Vince Gerardis and Ron Schmidt.
The series has been a critical success in addition to providing HBO with big viewing numbers. Particular praise has been given to the performances of Considine (King Viserys), D'Arcy (Princess Rhaenyra) and Smith (Prince Daemon) for the depth and emotion they bring to their roles. In a statement, HBO and HBO Max Chairman and CEO, Casey Bloys, said: "We’re so thrilled to see House of the Dragon catch fire with Game of Thrones fans around the world, as well as new viewers who are discovering the world of Westeros for the first time. Congrats to George, Ryan, Miguel and the whole House of the Dragon team on an incredible first season.”
Season One of House of the Dragon is now available to stream on HBO Max, and filming on the second season is due to begin filming in Spain in early 2023.